At the Maple Tree
by SnitchsLins
Summary: DEAD, but ending's there. One tree, a million stories. A tree that saw peace, freedom, love, and hope. But a tree that saw bloodshed, hatred, and death. A faithful friend, an innocent boy and an obedient daughter, what tale could be told? A tale of l
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Newsies or anything about it.  
  
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Okay guys, this is my first chapter (obviously) and I got this idea from seeing the trailer of the movie The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (the book, not the movie). I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks so much for reading.  
  
Since the characters don't have actual Newsies nicknames, I'll tell you who they are: Jasper is Bumlets and Jeremiah is Racetrack. Just to let you guys know who is who, being as I don't say it in the fic.  
  
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The sun shone brightly on the summer day of August 2, 1944. It was a rather hot day in Elksdale, Maine. Elksdale was a small town that hardly anyone knew about. No one ever came here and no one certainly wanted to live here.  
  
I stood silently, a tear glistening in my eye. I looked impassively at the maple tree. When people ask me, 'what's so significant about that maple tree?' What could I possibly say to them? Why explain the whole story to them, they wouldn't understand. I say to them, 'it's too complicated. You wouldn't understand.'  
  
"What happened here?" They asked me.  
  
Everything. That's what happened here. Everything has happened here. I bet you're wondering what the heck I mean by 'everything'. Well what was everything? I guess I should start where it all began, at the beginning. But where is the beginning? I haven't quite answered that question yet. But I remember the first day. That one day when everything started. It wasn't that long ago. In fact, it was only a year ago.  
  
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It was a day like today. Warm. Sunny. A perfect day. Nothing could stand in anyone's way. It was a day that you felt fifty feet tall because of how beautiful it was. I was out by this tree with my best friend, Jasper Reynolds. Jasper had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. We did everything together. We spent summer evenings jumping in the ponds, hanging upside down from trees seeing who could stay that way the longest, we'd catch frogs and then throw them at each other, and just did typical things that boys did. We did that when we were young, now we're teenagers and, well, life isn't as careless. We have to work now. We work hours upon hours a day. We come home from school, and head straight to the mill. We don't make much, but it puts bread on the table. Anyway, we were just sitting under the maple tree one Saturday. We were off work for the first time in six months and we decided to spend the whole day together, just to get our feet back on the ground.  
  
It was careless. I loved it. We were sitting under the maple tree, eyes closed, breathing in the fresh Maine air. We felt perfect, we felt free. We opened our eyes to look up at the blue sky, lined with faces of white.  
  
"I bet that one's George Washington." Jasper said to me, as he pointed to a gigantic cloud that lined the blue ocean of white.  
  
"No I don't think so," I said to him. "I think it resembles Abraham Lincoln more." I joked, it actually did kind of look like George, but I didn't want to admit that he was right.  
  
"No way! How do you get Abe out of that? I swear that's George!" He argued with me.  
  
We were now sprawled out on the grass, hands resting on our chests as we were pillowed by the soft patch of green grass. We were so comfortable we could fall fast asleep and never wake up again.  
  
"Do you want to bet on that?" I said, just starting a fight with him.  
  
"You don't bet, remember."  
  
"Well, I do now. What are you going to do about it?" I teased.  
  
He didn't answer me. I was kind of glad that he didn't. I had nothing planned to say to him if he did say something. We sat in silence just observing the soft bright sky. We heard some rumbling along the dirt road that lined the meadow we were lying in.  
  
Jasper sat up on his elbows to see what was coming. He was always easily distracted by things. I, myself, had a massive attention span. He, on the other hand, had the attention span of a mouse, literally.  
  
A car came putting down the road. That was unusual for here. The only people who had cars in Elksdale were the mayor and, well, the mayor. No one had enough money to buy a car, and no one needed to buy a car. Everything was so close to each other that all you had to do was walk there and you'd be fine.  
  
"I wonder who that is." Jasper said softly.  
  
I sat up and looked at the car that I knew didn't belong to the mayor. "I don't know. Maybe some richie who got lost." I sat back down, and didn't pay attention to the tin can on wheels.  
  
"No, Jer, really." He said seriously. Jasper was always a curious person. He needed answers and when he didn't get them, he wanted to figure it out himself.  
  
I sat up again. "Jas, I honestly don't know. If you really want to know who it is, stand in the middle of the road and make them stop. Then look in the windows and ask them who they are." I said jokingly.  
  
He did exactly what I told him to do, which surprised me. He got up out of the fluffy grass and trudged over to the side of the road to where the vehicle was coming. He didn't get in the middle of the road, but he just stood at the side. To my surprise the vehicle slowed down and stopped right by him.  
  
"Excuse me," the man in the passenger's seat said as he looked at Jasper. He eyed him up and down, and came the conclusion, he was an Elksdale resident. "I'm trying to get to Seasville National Church. My daughter, Marianne has a piano recital to get to and I'm afraid we're lost. Would you happen to know how we could get there?" The man asked politely.  
  
Jasper looked in the back of the car, he looked at Marianne. She wasn't looking at him, but she knew he was looking at her. She was wearing a white frilled dress with a red ribbon around the waist. She had locks of chestnut brown hair and a red bow in her hair. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably as Jasper admirably looked at her. Her eyes shifted over to him, trying to get the message across that he was to look away. He didn't get that message. She looked up at him, expressionless, emotionless. She looked into his big brown eyes. Her head shifted upwards as she analyzed him, it seemed. Then she snapped out of her trance and looked away once more.  
  
"Excuse me?" The man asked again. "The church."  
  
"Oh!" Jasper gasped as he smiled and laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Okay, you go straight up this road for about five miles, then you'll get to a turn. You skip that one and the second turn you come to, go left. Do you get that? Straight, skip first turn, second turn go left. Okay, once you turn right, go straight for about 10 miles and then you're out of Elksdale. As soon as you leave here, you'll get to Seasville and the church should be somewhere in the city. I don't know, I've never been there. I can't tell you how to get to the church; I just know how to get out of here to go to Seasville." Jasper explained as he shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I hope I helped you out some."  
  
"Thank you very much, son." The man said to him as he nodded his head. His white mustache shook as he nodded.  
  
Jasper put up his one finger, as if saying 'hold on a second'. He looked back at Marianne and smiled. "Good luck." He said to her.  
  
She stared at him in complete surprise. She didn't know what to say to this polite stranger. She smiled at him too and nervously mumbled, "thank you."  
  
Jasper backed away to let the car go by. It putted down the road as it left. Jasper watched it leave; he followed it with his eyes. I walked up to him and put my hand on his shoulder. I looked at him and looked away. "We got to find that church." He said in determination.  
  
"What? Why?" I said in complete surprise and shock. "How?"  
  
"I don't know, but we have to go there." He said as he scratched his head in thought. "You got horses, Jeremiah! You can get them out, saddle them up and we'll head to Seasville. We have to go to that church." He said with enthusiasm  
  
"And then what? Park the horses outside the church on the sidewalk? Yeah, great plan, Jas." He said sarcastically. "Why is it so important to get to that church?"  
  
"Um, forgiveness, confession." He explained.  
  
"We have a church here. We don't have to go all the way to Seasville to do that. We'll just see the Reverend if you want to do that. C'mon, I'll go with you." I told him.  
  
"No, I want to go to that church."  
  
"What does that church have that ours doesn't?" I asked in confusion.  
  
"I don't know. I just feel like I have to go to that church." He explained to me. He didn't even understand why he needed to go, but something inside of him told him he needed to.  
  
"She's a richie, Jas. She doesn't want anything to do with us. You saw the way she looked at you. You were scum to her. She's nothing but an arrogant, no good, daddy's girl, richie. That's how they all are, Jas. Don't bother with her. She'd never even look at you, let alone give you the time of day. Okay, stick with the Elksdale girls. They're better." I told him. I tried to give him the only advice I could. I never had any experience with girls, and I personally didn't want to. Neither of us had any experiences with girls. Sure we had girls who liked us, but we just didn't want to bother getting in a relationship with any of them. It just wasn't worth our time. We were too busy working to even go out on a date or anything. It just was a waste of our time. We'd rather spend time together than to go out with some petty girl.  
  
"I don't care about her, Jer. I just have this weird feeling, that's all. It's something I can't explain, but I just feel something that I've never felt before. Just give me a chance on this. I just need to see something." He said to me.  
  
"Okay what ever you say man. But this better be worth it." I said as we walked back to my house.  
  
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That was my first chapter. How did you guys like it? I hope you enjoyed it. I have a feeling about this fic. Even though it's only the first chapter, I have a feeling that by the end I'll be really proud of it. Out of all the fics I've written, this one is my favorite one so far (besides the Dream Like You'll Live Forever one). I don't know, I just really like the whole story line to this one. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you think of it. Thanks so much guys! 


	2. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Newsies or anything about it.  
  
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Chapter 2: Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.  
  
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So we headed off to the church. We went to my farm, took the horses and headed to Seasville for reasons unknown to me. I don't even think Jasper knew why it was so important to head to that church. He always followed his heart, no matter what. That's the way he's always been. He's always followed his intuition where ever it led him. It may have led him to a place where he didn't want to go, but none the less he followed it. He had faith, probably because his father was the Elksdale Methodist Church pastor. All his life he was taught to have faith and believe in what his heart told him to do, even if he thought it was wrong. He did what he was told.  
  
We rode for hours it seemed and finally we made it to the church. Now what? Were we supposed to just walk in out of the blue and sit down? I don't think so! But that's exactly what we did. The recital had already started when we walked in. We picked the pew closest to us to sit in. Thank God we didn't have to pay any money to get in, because we didn't have any.  
  
As soon as Jasper sat down he searched the crowd for Marianne. I shook my head and knew he was lying to me. The only reason he came was because he had the hots for her, and he knew it. I nudged him to stop making it so obvious. "She'll see you, you nut!" I told him.  
  
"Sorry." He whispered back to me as he focused on the girl who was now playing the piano. She was fairly good; she played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I wasn't very musically oriented, but she sounded really good to me. After she was finished, she bowed and another piano player went up and played her song. She wasn't as good as the first girl, but she did a lot better than I could do. Then it came to Marianne's turn to play. She walked up; she looked like she wasn't even scared. She didn't even look nervous at all. She sat down on the bench, twiddled her fingers around to get them ready and off she played. I didn't know what she played because I never heard the song before, but I really enjoyed it. Out of all the girls I've seen perform, I think she was the best. Jasper watched her every move, he was hooked. His eyes were wider than I had ever seen them before as he studied her movements. He observed her fingers, dancing across the white and black keys. I don't even think he heard a note of that song, he was so focused. Finally after minutes of playing, she finished her song. She stood up, bowed and went back to her seat. Jasper's mouth was wide open and his eyes were bulged out, he was like in a trance or something, I swear.  
  
"Restrain yourself, man." I joked with him.  
  
"What?" He was awaken from his trance and looked at me confused. "What are you talking about, Jer?"  
  
"Talk to me, Jas. Tell me what you're thinking. Seriously, I don't care what it is, or how dumb it sounds, talk to me. Tell me what's going on, because I can see everything in your eyes." I told him. I knew exactly why he was here, but I didn't understand it.  
  
"I don't know, man." He whispered. "But I'm going to find out." He told me and that was the end of our conversation. He sat still the whole time, deep in thought. He didn't listen to anyone else play, he just waited and thought. What was he thinking about? I don't exactly know. All I know is that he was determined to do something. I don't know what though.  
  
Finally the piano recital ended and everyone went up to the stage and bowed. Marianne won first prize, as Jasper had expected her too. She smiled that beautiful smile that I knew Jas had fallen in love with. She looked so proud, so full of accomplishment up there. She had everything that we didn't have. She was rich, not only in money, but in the things that we Elkridge kids wanted and didn't have. She had a family that loved her and would do anything for her. I had that also, but most of my friends didn't. She had new clothes and food to eat, we didn't have that. That's why most of us started working at the mill when we were eleven or twelve years old, so that we could maybe have some bread and butter for dinner. She had a car, which is what every kid in Elkridge dreamed out, but they knew they'd never have one.  
  
As I looked at Jasper and the look on his face, I concluded that he wasn't thinking of any of those things. He didn't look at her with greed or envy; he looked at her as if he knew her forever. It was weird though, I never saw him look or act like this before and I had no idea what he was going to do next. It was like a dream that was being played out; you didn't know what was going to happen next. This whole situation was supernatural to me, I've never experienced before, and neither has anyone else.  
  
He stood up straight and tall, cleared his throat and walked up to the stage. "Jasper!" I said softly to get his attention, but he didn't hear me.  
  
He strode up to her without any nervousness at all and stood right in front of her. She didn't notice him at all, until she realized that he was standing right in front of the cameras. When she finally realized that he was blocking the cameras she acknowledged him. She looked at him as if he were crazy. "You're beautiful." He said as if no one was standing around watching him. My mouth dropped to the floor it seemed and I slid down in my seat. Everyone gasped and all became silent.  
  
"What?" She said confused.  
  
"I said you're beautiful." He said again, with all the confidence he had inside him.  
  
Her eyes got wide and she shook with nervousness. "Um, I beg your pardon, but you're standing in front of the cameras and I was wondering if.."  
  
"I know."  
  
"What do you mean you know? Why won't you move?" She asked.  
  
"Why should I?" I knew he was digging his own grave, but he kept pursuing it.  
  
"Because um, they kind of want to take a picture of me and put it in the paper, okay?" She said sarcastically as she smiled.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"What do you mean why? Didn't you watch the recital? I won. I won first place, so, they want to put that in the paper, but in order to do so, they have to take my picture. Do you comprehend?" She told him.  
  
"Why would you want to spoil your beauty by having a picture taken, when as you stand there, every man will turn to stone?"  
  
"What? Where are you getting this?"  
  
"You know what I wish?" He stood closer to her as he whispered to her calmly.  
  
"No I don't know what you wish, and I don't want to know what you wish either."  
  
"I wish that right this moment; God would take my sight from me, because I had the privilege to stand in front of Aphrodite herself."  
  
"The Goddess of Love." Marianne said softly, amazed by his poise. "Who are you?"  
  
"Sir, could you please stop your chattering and move so we can take this young lady's picture?" The camera man said impatiently.  
  
He took a look at her for the last time, and without saying anything else, turned and left.  
  
"Wait!" Marianne called out, but he didn't answer her. He walked out the door.  
  
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I caught up with him standing on the stairs of the church, staring at the rain that had begun to fall. "Ain't this great!" I said sarcastically. "We gotta ride the horses back and the rain decides to come pouring down." I said as I headed down the stairs to my horse. "Come on." I acknowledged.  
  
He stared at the sky above in wonderment. "Jer, could I ask you something?"  
  
"I think you just did, Jas. Come on, we should get home. Your Pa is gonna be so mad at you if you're late!" I warned.  
  
"No really. After everything I've been taught. Everything in my life that I've learned on my own or had someone else teach me, I just learned a life lesson today."  
  
"And what is that? You can't hit on every richie that you see?"  
  
"No, it's that out of every dirty piece of soil that has been drowned in the rain, comes a white, perfect, beautiful flower. And out of every drunken, abusive, arrogant, richie father, comes a white, perfect, beautiful daughter." He spoke words that I didn't even know he knew. What was happening to my man Jasper? He had some curse on him or something, it was like he was a different person. I didn't know what was wrong with him? Did he fall off his horse and get brain damaged or something? I don't know!  
  
"Oh Jas, what are you doing, man? What are you doing? You don't want anything to do with her. You don't! You'll never make it with her. She'll never want to be with you because just look at yourself for once, Jas. It's a whole new world out there for her! Her world consists of tea, money, new dresses and boring parties! Our lives consist of life long friends, sweating blood at the mill, Sundays at church, summer of running around getting in all sorts of trouble and all that stuff. I bet she doesn't even know what a plow is or an anvil! Look, if she wants to spend her days having other people serve her hand and foot, she can do that! But I know for a fact, she would not want to spend her days, you know, doing manual labor. It's like comparing the Queen of England to you. Would the Queen really abdicate her thrown just to fall in love with a small town, poor, country boy? I don't think so, Jas. So, you know, just move on and find someone else." I tried to gently tell him, but there was no way to gently tell him.  
  
"You're wrong, Jer. I know you're wrong. God showed me this girl for a reason, and I don't know what that reason is, but he put this girl in my life for a purpose and one of these days that purpose will be fulfilled, you just watch." He said as he got off the church stairs and hopped on his horse.  
  
"I'm telling you, you're making a big mistake. You're going crazy here, Jas. I feel bad for you."  
  
"Don't do me any favors, Jer. Don't be jealous of me for what I'm feeling right now." He told me.  
  
"Oh believe me, Jas, I'm not." I said to him as we went on home.  
  
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Sorry for the long wait guys! I was busy with school and Creation and summer and a little bit of procrastination and you know all that stuff. Well I saw The Notebook yesterday and my story is very similar to it, I guess. But it's not exactly the same, per say. Anyway, I'm going to try to get the next chapter up sometime this week, I don't know if I can though. Next week I won't be here, because I'm going to camp, so look for the next chapter (if I don't put it up this week) two weeks from now.  
  
SO time!!  
  
Blue Boxer – thanks so much for taking me to see The Notebook! It was like the best love story I've ever seen and I loved it so much, even though I cried like the whole time. Thanks so much for reviewing also! Love you!  
  
Written Sparks – thanks so much for reviewing and commenting on my story! I totally appreciate it so much! If I need some OC's I'll definitely let you know and consider you! By any chance are you on the NML? If you are, what's your NN? So anyway, I'll tell you if I need a profile from you or something and I'll definitely consider you! Thanks so much for reviewing! 


	3. ByeBye Sucky Story!

_**Disclaimer**: I **do not** own Newsies or anything about it._

**This isn't a chapter, Lovvies. This is like...something.**

**_I fucking hate this story!_ I'm sorry, but I fucking hate it. It's so boring! I know it's a love story and all that crap, it has heart, blah blah blah. It's just so fucking boring. Sorry babies, this is the end for this fic. I really wanted to finish it, but I can't, because I'm giving up. I don't know what to write for it, and I really don't care.**

**I'm tired of trying to write this...so I'll make the ending really quick. **

Jas and Marianne get together in the end. Marianne's parents disapprove. Oh no! Jasper goes to war with his friend ((God I can't even remember the name of him)). Marianne is heartbroken. Blah blah blah. They come back. A fight between families break out...kinda. Jasper dies...at the maple tree.

**Yay! Fic is finished. Think of your own stuff in the middle. Thank you to all who read and reviewed the two chapters of this boring-ass fic. I truly appreciate your support and comments, whatever.**

**Special thanks to:**

**Blue Boxer**

**C. M. Higgins**

**Lucky**

**And...Written Sparks.**

**Now I'm taking this story down in like...a few weeks or days, I don't know. Whenever I get around to it. So this is a goodbye for this story. Read it again, weep a little, think of what could have happened, have a great time, because this story is going bye-bye, Mommy. Lovvies.**

**Yes I'm evil. I know that.**


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